Category: Media Clips

If Republicans were to win a repeal of the so-called death tax, contentious Treasury regulations on business valuation discounts would also disappear, according to Investment News Reporter Greg Iacurci. In a new story, “Estate tax repeal no ‘slam dunk’ under Trump and Republican-held Congress,” Iacurci examines how president-elect Donald Trump will govern and what policies he may or may not be able to push through upon taking office. He writes:

Mr. Trump articulated several tax proposals as a candidate on the Republican ticket, focusing on a repeal of the estate tax, consolidation of income tax rates and lowering the top tax brackets, and standardization of tax rates across businesses.

But even if the death tax is repealed, McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus brings the estate tax victory into perspective. From the article:

Financial planners and tax payers should keep in mind that the laws around estate taxes come and go, said John O. McManus, founding principal of McManus & Associates.

“Even if the federal estate tax evaporates under Trump, that is never permanent,” he said, pointing out that in 2010 the estate tax exemption was reduced to zero, only to have it set at $1 million for the following year.

Head over to Investment News to read the full story. For trusted advice on tax and estate planning strategies in light of Trump’s intended policies, call McManus & Associates at 908-898-0100.

In Wednesday’s edition of “The Estate Planner,” a newsletter for estate planning practitioners, a Trusts & Estates/WealthManagement.com slideshow-feature by McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus was highlighted as a lead article. The item, “Top 10 Multinational Issues in Estate Planning,” appears with the preview text: “The complexities of estate and tax planning on an international scale can quickly ensnare the unaware.”

For the Trusts & Estates slideshow, the publication harnessed guidance issued by McManus & Associates for its recent “Beyond Our Borders” conference call with clients, which is part of the firm’s educational focus series. In this installment, McManus shed light on issues ranging from Foreign Bank Account Reporting (FBAR) to international guardianship, foreign succession laws and foreign trusts.

Wall Street Journal Columnist Veronica Dagher penned a new article this week, “How to Avoid, Detect and Respond to Romance Scams.” The piece provides steps that readers can take to protect themselves (and their parents) from these fraudulent attacks, as well as things to do if the swindling has, unfortunately, already taken place.

As revealed by Dagher, so-called sweetheart scams cost victims nearly $120 million in the first half of 2016, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. How are these criminals finding success? “The fraudsters are ‘very adept at playing on the vulnerability of human emotions’…With some senior citizens, they are also playing on a lack of tech savvy.”

Dagher buckets the steps to avoid and address these scams, as follows:

1) Check the Connection

2) Check In With Your Parents

3) Check the Pressure

4) Report It

McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus is cited and quoted in the “Check In With Your Parents” and “Report It” sections. From the article:

“Stay in touch and call your parents often so that they don’t become vulnerable to scammers,” says John McManus, an attorney in New Providence, N.J., who has helped several senior citizens who were victims of fraud…If your parents do fall victim to a scam, show compassion, says Mr. McManus. Help them keep their dignity and understand that anyone can be wrongly manipulated at any age, he says.

McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus was recently tapped for insight on digital estate planning by MarketWatch (WSJ), which has over 16 million unique visitors per month. Andrea Coombes’ column, “How to include your digital assets in your estate plan,” explores the importance of accounting for one’s online presence – from email and “bank accounts to Facebook, PayPal and more” – when planning for the transfer and administration of assets.

From the article:

If you fail to account for those digital assets in your estate plan, you risk burying your family or friends in red tape as they try to get access to and deal with your online accounts that may have sentimental, practical or monetary value.

The Wall Street Journal “Wealth Report” recently published a story by Veronica Dagher titled “When an Elderly Parent Has Been Scammed.” The article outlines key steps for an adult child to take if he/she expects that a parent or loved one is the victim of elder financial abuse. McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus is quoted throughout the piece.

At the outset of the article, Dagher helps readers understand both the obstacles that they’re likely to encounter when trying to help an elderly loved one who has been scammed and the typical feelings of the victim. Empathy and patience are key.

Bankrate, which has more than 2.75 million readers, recently published a story based on McManus & Associates’ “Same-sex marriage tax and estate planning tips.” As the story points out, thousands of gay and lesbian couples are celebrating wedding anniversaries this year and, this month, another momentous date. June 26 was the day last year that the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States.

Forbes Writer Ashlea Ebeling recently brought a very important topic to light with the help of John O. McManus and one of his clients: elder financial abuse. In her new article “Inside A Lottery Scam,” Ebeling tells the harrowing story of a McManus & Associates client, who – in her 90’s – was targeted strategically and relentlessly by unscrupulous phone fraud. From the piece:

“There was a man who was very friendly, very charming.” So begins the tale of a socialite widow from New Jersey horse country who lost nearly $1 million in a lottery scam. Call her Penny. She’s ashamed. “I can’t believe I was so ignorant; nobody can condemn me more than I do myself,” she told me on the line with her lawyer, John O. McManus of New Providence, N.J. “What’s funny is I’m a penny picker-upper; when I think of the amount of money that I gave away to an unknown person, it’s unbelievable,” she says.

How did the scammer convince Penny to part with a lot more than just pennies? “If she sent money, the caller said, she would have a chance to win big.” She started sending checks in hopes of hitting the sweepstakes jackpot, which would give her more money to make a big impact on the community by setting up a charitable foundation to honor her husband and carry on their family tradition of giving.

Bankrate, which has more than 2.75 million readers, recently turned to McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus for advice on investments and IRAs. His thoughts are included in the publication’s feature slideshow, “Traditional or Roth IRA: Find out which IRA is better-suited for high-return investments.” From the slideshow:

Pay upfront, watch Roth explode later

Do you benefit from having an extra-long time horizon? Then going full throttle in the Roth IRA is apropos, says John O. McManus, founding principal of McManus & Associates in New York City.

“If you can take a long-term view, opt for a Roth IRA and take an aggressive approach with asset allocation and investing,” he says. “Roth IRAs buy you a lot more time to allow the market to recover, absent the mandatory distributions of traditional IRAs. Create a self-directed Roth IRA and pour significant capital in it to build horsepower. Then smartly pursue alternative investments to generate the biggest returns,” he says.

“Private equity and real estate are the 2 best areas where real leverage can be achieved with a Roth IRA. The idea is to pay your taxes up front, then really watch returns from your investments explode.”

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